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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. current — of water
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. firm — decided
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. staff — a stick
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. staff — employees
  13. ball — a great time
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. staff — employees
  17. stand — to bear
  18. track — a path
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. net — for catching
  21. firm — steady
  22. net — in sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com